


Moments in Life

by Macx



Category: Eureka
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-22
Updated: 2011-05-22
Packaged: 2017-10-19 17:10:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/203194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Macx/pseuds/Macx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack is the law of Eureka. He gets into all kinds of trouble because of it. Sometimes a lot of it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moments in Life

He can’t die.

He can’t....

Dr. Nathan Stark stared at the pale, slender form on the hospital bed, surrounded by machines. Tubes and wires were running to and from the unconscious body – controlling, monitoring, feeding and breathing.

Breathing for Jack.

He can’t die, he thought desperately. He just can’t.

Broken ribs. Massive blood loss. Hypothermia. Early stages of pneumonia. The list went on. Each and every injury alone would have been bad, but they had all combined and were now threatening to take a life.

A life so precious to Stark.

A life he couldn’t lose.

Not to death.

He drew a deep breath and closed his eyes, willing himself not to think of it. Ignore the machines, ignore the deathly pallor, ignore the medical facts.

Nathan wasn’t a man prone to praying, but today, he was really coming close to it. He prayed for Jack to continue fighting.

 

* * *

 

Dr. Allison Blake sat on the hard chair in the waiting room, trying to ignore the sick feeling in her guts. Like all of them, she knew the facts, and she had heard the chances Jack had. They were slim. The blood loss had weakened him, the cold had permeated his battered body, and pneumonia had set in not much later. Congested lungs, broken ribs, concussion. It was all up to the sheriff. Should he lose or give up, it would destroy Nathan first and foremost.

Jack was his life, he was his anchor, and without him, Stark would become adrift. It had been evident from the first moment on when the two men had taken the first but final step into a relationship. She doubted Nathan had had any idea what it would encompass, what it would change in him. Jack had turned his life around. Despite all rumors to the contrary, she enjoyed seeing the two men together. Nothing obvious, no romantic overtures, just this… togetherness.

Allison smiled a little. She might be Nathan’s ex-wife, but she knew that their chances of getting back together had been slim to non-existent. Jack on the other hand was the right man.

Now something had destroyed the peaceful picture.

It had been such an easy, slow evening with just two minor problems at Global Dynamics the whole day. One had been a false alarm, the other an exploding cloud of gas in one of the safe chambers. Lots of smoke, lots of noise, but nothing serious.

Still, they had had to call their local sheriff because protocol demanded it. Just... he had never made it.

Allison shivered briefly and looked over at Fargo. The man looked decidedly pale, sick, exhausted... really bad.

When Jack hadn’t shown, hadn’t answered his cell phone, and dispatch had been unable to get a hold of him either, Stark had called Deputy Jo Lupo. Jo had instantly responded – only to stumble over the terrible accident site.

A truck had crashed into the car Jack had been driving, pushing it off the road, tumbling it down an incline and into the ditch. The truck had overturned and the driver had been thrown out. He had died instantly. Jack had been buckled in, but the terrible force of the impact had done its share of damage. He had been lying there for hours, bleeding, freezing, suffering... dying.

Not dying! Allison thought firmly. He would be okay. He would heal.

Drawing a deep breath she rose, unable to sit still any longer. She left the room and walked down the corridor to the ICU ward.

Nathan was still there, spending the time he was allowed to be near Jack plastered to the chair at the bedside. Tired, almost exhausted beyond words, he was gazing at the other man. It broke Allison’s heart to see the normally so unflappable and controlled head of research slowly lose it, crack and fade – become human.

She stayed at the other side of the glass wall that separated the world outside from the intensive care unit. A nurse looked her way, but she shook her head.

“Waiting,” she said softly.

He nurse nodded and returned to her work, but not without keeping a subtle eye on her.

Finally, after ten more minutes, Nathan rose, slowly placing the lax hand he had held onto the white sheets. He seemed so old all of a sudden that it scared Allison more than the desperation clearly visible in his eyes.

She met him at the basket where Nathan dropped the disposable gown he had to wear inside ICU, taking in the pale visage.

“Come with me,” she only said, taking his arm.

He didn’t even protest.

 

* * *

 

The cafeteria was two floors up and almost at the other side of the building. Allison got them both a coffee and walked to the corner table that was surrounded by enough greenery to hide them from prying eyes. Nathan was gazing at the table top, a frown on his features, as if deep in thought. He looked up when she placed the cup in front of him.

“Thank you,” he said quietly.

“You’re welcome. Guess you need it as badly as I am. Maybe even worse.”

He was silent, contemplating the depth of the black liquid.

“Who’s handling the accident in lab 5?”

Allison had a moment to be surprised, then she chastised herself. This was Dr. Nathan Stark she was talking to. Master of his emotions, Master Supreme of keeping work ahead of personal things.

“Fargo.”

“Good.”

Exhausted eyes met hers. Allison reached over and squeezed one wrist.

“We’ll handle it, Nathan.”

“Thanks.”

“You know you need to sleep, right?”

A nod, but it looked like Stark hadn’t even understood her.

“Nathan!”

His eyes snapped back at her, looking mildly confused, then annoyed.

“Get some sleep,” she repeated. “Jack’s in good hands and for now, we can’t do anything.”

“I know.”

“But you’re stubborn and won’t leave.”

He gave her a grimace of a smile. “Probably.”

“Nathan, please. I know how hard it is for you, but you have to sleep. Having you dead on your feet won’t help!”

She knew she was being cruel. In Nathan’s place, she would try and be here, too, but Global Dynamics needed him just the same. Only a few people knew about the deeper relationship between the two men and Stark couldn’t risk not going to work, or staying here all the time. Not if he wanted to keep the secret and she was convinced that for now, he would.

“Please?”

“Okay.”

“Your word on it?”

He smiled wryly. “You want me to swear an oath?”

“If it gets you out of here, yes.”

Another smile. “I’ll behave, Ally. I promise.”

She squeezed the wrist again, nodding. “Good.”

Twenty minutes and another cup of coffee, this time with a sandwich, later both left. Nathan didn’t drop by the ICU again, but he talked to the doctor once more, reminding the already harried looking man of his cell phone number for any kind of emergency.

Zoe had yet to be informed. Nathan had argued that it would be him who called Jack’s daughter in LA and he would. She had left the week before to stay with her mother for the rest of winter break. There had been talk about going skiing and Zoe had been excited.

“Nathan?”

He blinked and looked at her.

“Zoe?”

“I’ll call,” he promised.

And he would.

 

* * *

 

In the closely monitored room of the ICU, an alarm went off. The tracing on the ECG monitor was nothing but a straight line. The alarm sounded shrilly and was almost lost in the commotion now erupting.

“Asystole!” one of the nurses called out.

“Code 99, Shock Trauma Unit!” the doctor bellowed.

The hospital paging unit came to life within seconds and the crash cart unit burst in. They moved into action without hesitation.

“Everybody clear!”

The staff stepped away from the doctor holding the electric defibrillator paddles as he pressed them against the left side of their dying patient. A jolt raced through the body, making it twitch involuntarily. The tracing on the monitor twitched once.

“Again!”

Another jolt.

“Piggyback a bottle of high-dose epinephrine, and titrate!” the doctor shouted.

The pharmacist complied.

The ER unit continued to try and save Jack Carter’s life.

 

       * * *

 

The news about Jack’s near-miss had floored everyone. The whole town was in a state of suspended shock. Eureka loved their sheriff and everyone was trying to find out how he was faring. News trickled out slowly and Vince was the best informed of everyone. No one asked how he managed to procure the information, but they all came to him to get an update.

Jo was running the sheriff’s office, but strangely enough not much had happened. It was as if Eureka had frozen, everyone going about their work like an automaton.

 

* * *

 

He can’t die.

The words seemed to be the only thing floating around in his mind lately.

Now, after the shocking news from the hospital, listening to a Dr. Harvey telling him that Jack had flat-lined and nearly died, Stark couldn’t feel anything anymore. Well, not much despite fear that is.

Jack had flatlined.

He had visually checked his lover the moment he had been allowed to visit. Underneath the breathing mask and with the pale skin, he looked terrible.

He can’t die… The mantra changed, becoming more and more of a prayer.

For three days now, Stark had been hardly concentrating enough to do his job. Allison was covering for him, as was Fargo. The weekend had passed in a blur. He had tried not to stay on the hospital level all the time, but whenever visiting hours allowed, he was with Jack. He had called Zoe and had only gotten voice mail. He hadn’t given up and when he had finally reached the young woman, the talk had been almost too much. Zoe would be on the next ride home, be it a plane or train or by car.

“Nathan, call me. About anything. Promise me!”

He had. He had called her several times a day while Zoe was frantically looking for the fastest way from Canada back to the States. She had been booked on a flight to LA, take a connecting flight to Portland, and Zane had promised to be there to pick her up and drive her to Eureka.

He can’t die, Stark thought again. He has to live.

A nurse entered the room, checked the monitors and lines, then nodded at Nathan.

After another long time alone, just holding Jack’s hand, stroking his thumb over the pale, cool skin, another visitor disturbed the reflective mood. Allison’s face showed a smile as she greeted him softly, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“How is he?” she asked.

“Still holding on.”

Her slender hand squeezed his shoulder and Nathan took strength from that simple gesture.

Jack can’t die.

“Jo called, wanted to know how you and Jack are.”

Nathan shot her a weary, questioning look. “Me?”

Allison answered with a smile. “Told her you’re both fighters.”

“I’m not the one in the hospital bed.”

“No, you’re the one just as badly affected, though.”

“Prelim data from the crash came in,” she went on, watching him with eagle eyes.

Nathan nodded. “Well?”

“Sloppy maintenance, intoxicated driver. Jo is on it.”

He gazed at his lover again, still holding the lax hand. “Thanks.”

Another squeeze to his shoulder. “You’re welcome. You need anything?”

For Jack to survive this, to live. Not to die.

“I’m fine, thanks.”

“Liar.”

And with that Allison left him alone again, surrounded by medical equipment, keeping watch over Jack.

 

       * * *

 

Each day was hell.

Each day was torture.

Each day meant a day closer to the moment he could leave.

Jack lay in his bed, his private room, trying to ignore the ever-present IV line running into his body. He tried to ignore the twinges when he moved the wrong way. He tried to ignore the subtle tremor of pain behind his eyes. And he tried to ignore the boredom, the longing to do something other than lying around, watching mindless TV. That was harder than anything else.

Ten days.

He had spent ten days in this place, five of which he had fought for his life. Another five watching the man he loved trying not to fuss, not to look worried, and not to hover.

Stark failed miserably in all three categories. Whenever he had a free moment, he either called or dropped by. Sometimes Jo or Allison came along. Zoe had camped out in his hospital room for the whole time she had been back until Jack had been coherent enough to send her home – and take Nathan with her since he looked terrible.

He craved the day he could go home.

There was a little knock and the door opened. Jack smiled as he discovered Stark.

“Hey,” he called.

“Hey.”

The door snapped shut and Nathan walked over to him, a warm, private smile on his face. It wasn’t even noon yet, but Stark looked exhausted. Jack tugged at the hand and Nathan didn’t need more prompting to lean forward and claim a little kiss.

“Get some sleep,” he whispered.

“For a sick man, you’re bossy.”

“Someone has to take care of you.”

Stark smiled. “I’ll be back tonight. You need anything?”

“My own bed. You. Home.”

A chuckle. “That’s not for me to decide, nor in my power to make it happen.”

“Yeah, well, a man can wish.”

Nathan kissed him again and Jack reached up to the handsome face, brushing his hand over the bearded cheek. He really did want to get out of here.

“I’ll ask the doctor,” Stark promised, interpreting the needy look correctly.

“Thanks.”

“See you tonight. Behave.”

Jack grimaced and made a shooing motion. Stark smiled and left the room.

The moment the door closed, Jack was alone again, feeling bored. His eyes strayed to the books and magazine Zoe and Jo had dropped off two days ago. While he didn’t fall asleep after a paragraph or two anymore, he didn’t feel very motivated to read. So it was back to watching TV.

Jack sighed. Didn’t matter what put him to sleep anyway.

 

* * *

 

Damn, it felt good to be home.

Even if the drive had tired him out. Even if the few steps to front door had depleted the rest of his reserves. Even if he felt like world-class jelly and was about to collapse.

But he was home.

“Welcome home, Sheriff Carter,” SARAH greeted him.

Strong but gentle hands firmly steered him over to the couch onto which he sank with a wince and a lot of relief. A blanket was suddenly covering him and Jack only now felt the cold of his shaking body.

“Thanks.”

Nathan smiled. “Want something to drink? Ice tea? Soda?”

“Uh, tea. Non-iced version. I’m kinda cold.”

His lover nodded. “Blood loss takes a while. I’ll be right back.”

True to his word, Stark carried over a mug of tea a few minutes later and placed it into Jack’s hands.

Carter sipped at it, glad to be here, glad to have Nathan with him, glad just to be alive.

“You up for food?”

He blinked. “Uhm. Not really. Not hungry.”

Nathan looked at him, expression intense, and Jack suddenly didn’t like what he saw there.

“You okay, Nathan?” he asked gently.

Stark didn’t answer right away, but he finally nodded. “Yes, I am.”

Liar, Jack thought. “Okay.”

He would give in for now. He would give Stark room. Time for the cross-examination later on. For now, he just had to get his strength back.

 

* * *

 

The thunder storm had swept over Eureka like the proverbial force of nature it was. Rain came down in torrents, flooding the streets, and for about an hour, traffic was caught in water from above and below. The sky was an inky black, the lightning spectacular, and the cool wind swept away the warmth of the day – for all the time it took for the clouds to pass and the sun to evaporate the rain again.

Jack suspected it was another Eureka moment, some kind of project gone awry, and he hadn’t been that far off. Someone had been tampering with nature again, but Nathan had quickly taken care of the culprit.

He had been home for two weeks and he was healing. He was still not back in shape, which showed itself in shortness of breath because his lung still needed healing time, and twinges from his mending ribs.

A wild flicker of lightning lit up the patch of sky he could see through the skylight and he reflexively closed his eyes. Thunder rolled across the sky and the rain strengthened again.

Jack relaxed into the armchair, eyes still riveted to the outside. He felt strangely at peace with himself, despite the violence raging outside that kept every sensible person inside. He missed work, he missed Eureka, but somehow he wasn’t as restless as the last time he had been forced off work because of an injury. It wasn’t the near-death experience; it was a change that happened within the last months. He was… calmer. Settled. Balanced.

He smiled. Well, maybe it was Nathan. He was like an anchor. Jack had found what he had been looking for and he wanted to believe that it was the same for his lover.

The door opening and closing again drew him out of his thoughts and he turned his head. Jack nearly laughed out loud as he took in the dripping, squishing, wet-to-the-bones appearance of one Dr. Nathan Stark. Nothing was dry anymore; everything was soaked through and through, the hair plastered to the head, water dripping down onto the floor. Well, more cascading than dripping, he decided.

“Is it raining?” he teased.

Stark shot him a frown. “Lightly,” he answered, sarcasm in his voice.

“Hold on, don’t move. I’ll getcha a towel.”

Jack shook his head, walking over to the bathroom as quickly as his still healing body allowed. He took several towels and came back, holding them out to Nathan. Stark took one and toweled off his hair, then started to peel out of the clothes where he stood. No sense in spreading puddles all over.

When he was finally naked, towels wrapped around him, shivering, Jack shooed him off to the shower.

“Leave the clothes,” Nathan told him sternly as he made moves to pick them up. “Your ribs won’t take bending over kindly.”

Carter grimaced, one arm already instinctively supporting the weakened abdomen, but he complied.

“I’ll make tea.”

Nathan nodded and disappeared into the bathroom. When he came out again, clad in a pair of sweat pants and sweatshirt Jack had brought him after making tea, he cleaned up the soggy mess. Jack felt bad watching him and unable to help, but Nathan was right: his ribs would protest.

It was the reason why they hadn’t had any closer contact than a kiss or a light cuddle. Hugs resulted in pain and at night, Jack could only sleep because of the painkillers – and on his back. He got his most sleep the moment the medication kicked in, but he still dozed now and then throughout the day.

Holding out a mug of steaming tea, he smiled at Nathan. “You took a boat to get home?”

“Something like it.”

The rain had already lessened and the way it looked, and since he had been witness to many such sudden rainstorms before, Jack knew it would be over in another hour max.

“You could have waited for it to clear.”

“Yes, I could have.”

“But you didn’t,” Jack finished, smiling.

Nathan drank his tea in silence. “You have another appointment today,” he finally broke the companionable silence.

Jack nodded. “Yeah. In two hours.”

“Want me to drive?”

“No, you go and get some sleep. I’ll take a cab.”

 

 

 

Nathan didn’t argue. Jack loved that about him. He accepted Jack’s decisions. Taking a cab made sense; getting Stark to drive him to and back from the hospital, missing out on sleep, then catching a nap if he could, didn’t.

“I’m going in early tonight,” the older man announced.

“Sure. Want me to pick something up food-wise?”

“Well, if you run by that Japanese place by accident, yes.”

The sly look in the blue eyes made Jack laugh.

“Sure. I think I can cram it into my already really tight schedule.”

Stark walked over to the kitchen sink to put the mug inside and as he passed Jack, he dropped a kiss on his lover’s forehead. “Thank you.”

“Go, shoo, sleep!” Jack waved him away with one hand.

Outside, the thunder grumbled across the sky, but the light show had almost disappeared. Another ten minutes, the graying sky would be light again. Jack walked over to the phone and ordered his taxi to pick him up on time, then just stretched out on the couch, the TV on low volume, and entertained himself until it was time to leave while Stark caught up on his sleep.

 

  


End file.
